


Harried and Torn

by SansyFresh



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Badster, Bledgeupuff, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Pain, Cultural Misunderstandings, Dad Grillby, Dadby, Disabled Character, Eventual Fluff, Foursome, Gonna have fun with this one, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Papyrus (Undertale) Remembers Resets, Polyamory, Possible Eventual Smut, Spicykustardpuff - Freeform, Unethical Experimentation, sans pov, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2020-06-02 23:49:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19452031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansyFresh/pseuds/SansyFresh
Summary: It was a calm day before they showed up. Sans is already kinda done.





	1. Welp, that's interesting

**Author's Note:**

> new fic lol cause i have no control of my life
> 
> enjoy some bledgeupuff XD
> 
> (warnings for insinuated Bad Science times, angsty stuff )

He’d been carefully stacking a fairly solid textbook on top of the pile of other  _ fairly  _ thick textbooks when the entire house trembled beneath his feet. It’d been a slow day before that, Papyrus insistent he finally clean up his bookshelf a bit and put all the papers in their proper folders like a real scientist would, because  _ honestly  _ Sans, its like you were raised in a  _ barn _ . 

Sans had… well he’d taken a nap first, since Paps had cooked up a seriously heavy breakfast and salmon dill pancakes always put him right to sleep. He couldn’t help it, really, and while Paps had been fairly lenient about his nap, the moment he squinted his eyes open to check the time he was scooped up and set firmly on his feet, pushed towards the stairs with a pat on the shoulder.

Squaring his thin shoulders, Sans had marched (slumped) upstairs and gone to his room to stare at the bookshelf in question for a few minutes, just to try to get a game plan here. Mostly ‘cause, brothers and sisters and nonbinary pals, it was a mess. Papers stuck out of random paper and or plastic folders, books were stacked in every direction and orientation they could be stacked. All in all it certainly looked like every other research center Sans had ever seen, but maybe his brother had a point.

Ever since coming up to the surface things had been… difficult. What with the things that happened back underground, what with doctors and labs and little kids with the power to mess with the fabric of space and time. It’d been… stressful? To put it lightly. And Papyrus, bless his soul, hadn’t come out of it entirely unscathed either. It had sorta helped that Sans wasn’t alone for all the shit, but the guilt he felt that Paps had gone through any of it overrode any relief he felt.

Because of the “trauma and both mental and emotional health issues” they both suffered, Paps had signed them both up for therapy at an office that was three hours away from New New Home, just so Paps could take a day once a month to drive with the top down and allow the wind to blow through his skull. Sans just wore a warmer jacket those days and hunkered down for the ride. Therapy… helped. Sometimes.

After cracking his knuckles and looking longingly at his bed for a few minutes, he got to work. Papers were pored over and either put in a folder of their brethren or crumbled up and thrown in his increasingly full trash can. Books were stacked until he could figure out the optimum way to put them on the shelves. He’d been at it for a good hour when the house suddenly decided that collapsing on itself was a brilliant way to handle its problems, his carefully stacked tower of books on particle theory and quantum physics toppling over, ruining his good, hard work.

Sans gave himself a moment to mourn, hand over his soul as he mimed wiping a single tear before finally turning to the door that had smoke slowly curling under it. Well. That certainly was a problem. Paps would never forgive him if the house caught fire because of something in the basement, if that’s what had caused this.

He really wasn’t sure, his mind whirring to life as he made his way down the steps through the smoke, a hand holding his shirt up over his mouth. He hadn’t been doing any kind of anything down there, not for months. The machine was down there, he hadn’t been able to leave it underground and while Paps had given him a weird look and avoided the basement after he’d put it back together, it sat in the same spot it had for nearly five years. He hadn’t touched it, hadn’t turned it on, hadn’t even looked at it the few times he went down there to look for a damn wrench for the leaky pipe under the sink. 

But yeah, the smoke was near pouring through the open door that lead to the basement which meant that Paps had already gone down there to try and save the house and Sans really needed to hurry.

He wasn’t going to find a pile of dust. He wasn’t.

Almost tripping down the stairs, Sans peered through the dingy, smoke filled room to find the machine in the corner, nearly melted apart. Something like regret twinged in his soul, but he was near instantly looking for his brother before it could really take root. Glancing around, he saw a figure hunched over in the smoke, a white hand waving around as if trying to get the smoke to clear. Sans hurried over, nearly tripping over one of the bodies on the ground as he came to an abrupt stop. 

There were actually two bodies, Paps staring down at them with him, and he’d be damned if he didn’t see the resemblance. Two brothers, eyes closed and breathing light, faces scrunched but unconscious to the world. Scars covering every bone Sans could see, the color of them nearly offwhite. 

Rubbing a hand over what was left uncovered of his face, Sans gave the machine a withering glare before bending down to haul up the shorter of the two skeletons. Paps followed his lead, picking the taller up in a bridal carry, Sans going with a bit more of a potato sack hold. The other him was a heavy fucker, his bones more dense for whatever stupid reason, but Sans grit his teeth and carried him up the stairs, one step at a time.

As soon as he got the opportunity the other him was dumped on the couch, the little bounce revenge for being so fucking heavy. Turning back to the door, he watched Paps set the taller skeleton lightly on the couch beside his brother. The two seemingly from-an-apparently-shit-universe skeletons were already breathing easier, Paps opening a few of the larger windows to air out the damn smoke.

“I am seeing what I think I’m seeing, aren’t I?” Papyrus asked, standing over the brothers with his hands on his hips. Sans shrugged, staring down at them with a blank expression. It was answer enough, Paps nodding to himself even as he frowned.

Sans knew on a basic level what Paps was thinking. He was feeling guilty that they’d ended up here, that they’d been through whatever they’d been through, that they were stuck with a pair of traumatized fuckers that watched horror movies for fun and ate a lot of pickles because the juice got any and all phantom tastes out of their mouths. Well, maybe that last thought was all him, he’d gotten distracted.

As Paps disappeared into the kitchen, probably to grab a couple water bottles out of the fridge and whatever crackers they had on hand, Sans sat on the coffee table, back to the wonder twins as he put his head in his hands. This whole thing was already giving him a migraine, but that could be the smoke too, couldn’t rule that out.

There was no way to get them home, if they even wanted to. With the machine being pretty much completely destroyed, he’d have to scour dumps all over the damn world to find all the pieces he needed to rebuild it from scratch. They were stuck here, in some random ass universe that could be  _ exactly  _ like their own, or  _ nothing  _ like their own, and Sans was going to have to explain all this when they woke up, fuck.

It took him a second to place what the buzzing sound was, it’d been a while since his last mock fight, but a second later his body was hurling itself to the side, the sound of a bone attack sticking into the wall with a sick thud letting him know a little of what the hell was going on. Otherwise it was kind of a mystery, seeing as how the two brothers were supposed to be unconscious on the couch, not standing in battle positions, hands raised and magic flaring in their eyes. 

“Okay buddies, lets just-” A bone flew past his face, nearly clipping his cheek. That fun little brush with death was enough to make him realize that they were confused, probably not in their right minds, and sort of furious? For some reason? So he did what he did best, and kept talking.

“It’s alright, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He took a step back as they slowly, surely moved toward him, though the Papyrus’ sockets had narrowed. They were backing him up against the wall, apparently too used to doing this whole pack hunting thing, which didn’t mean anything good for him but he had to try to stay alive, if only because Paps had wanted to watch Saw 8 soon. Who was he to deny his brother movie night because he’d died like a bitch.

“You’re both safe here, don’t know if you noticed-” A bone was shoved just under his chin, the Papyrus moving too fast to be clearly seen until he was right in front of Sans, bone in his hand and pointed right at Sans’ throat. Swallowing, Sans took a gamble and glanced at his own double, hands calmly at his sides. 

“You’re not home.”

The two of them stood there for a moment, potent magic crackling in the air as they stared him down, until the Papyrus moved again, this time grabbing Sans by the scruff of the neck and shoving the bone attack through his shirt, pinning him to the wall. 

“You are going to explain where we are, and how we get back, or I will kill you.” The Papyrus spoke with a harsh grind, crimson eyelights flashing with barely contained fury. The Sans was quietly biding his time, but Sans had no doubts about his role in all this. Just as he was about to open his mouth though, the ping of two souls turning blue filled his ears, Papyrus walking into the room with a wide grin on his face. 

Sans knew that grin. He knew it intimately, which was unfortunate because that was the smile Paps wore when Sans’d seriously fucked up. 

Papyrus moved across the room, striding past the two… furiously confused? skeletons, popping the bone out of the wall and bringing Sans down to his feet before turning to them both, still bearing that terrifying smile.

“Alright, boys, lets talk about etiquette when you’re not in your own universe.”


	2. Mac and Cheese

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops, uh...didnt mean to let this one wait so long
> 
> sorries
> 
> enjoy!

Watching Paps give the murder clones a dressing down was… entertaining, if he was really pressed to give it a descriptor. Honestly it was kinda funny watching their eyes widen the longer he lectured them about the habits of monsters from their universe and the fact that one does not simply threaten a 1HP monster with a fucking bone attack.    
  
(If Sans gave his brother a subtle fistbump for that one later, well, the death bros didn’t have to know about it).

Paps explained that murder wasn’t a thing here for the most part, so most monsters didn’t have LV and were harmless, so  _ please don’t go around attacking low HP monsters _ . He told them that there were plenty of grocery stores, hardware stores, and clothing stores, and that as soon as the two of them had settled in they’d go on a trip to get them the necessities. He told them that they were welcome to stay as long as they needed to get back on their feet (or until the machine was fixed).

The other Papyrus had a strange look on his face at that, but Sans might have imagined it. He was definitely imagining the subtle trembling in his bones.

Then he finally let them get a word in edgewise, after about two hours, and the other Papyrus was quick to, well. Start growling. He growled about their predicament, he growled about the fact that he and his brother likely had smoke damage, he growled that his own brother was a whole point down from his max so of course Sans and Paps must have done something (they hadn’t, but it wasn’t like he was going to stop yelling long enough to hear it.)

And if Papyrus’ expression hardened a little at the mention of losing a single point of HP, well, perhaps only Sans noticed that.

But Papyrus listened. He listened, and took mental notes as the other Papyrus let a few choice curses slip, and when it was finally done, the other Sans glanced up from where he was dozing on his feet, scowling.

“So its really all sunshine and shit here?” There was a lot less sarcasm and a lot more disbelief in that question than Sans had ever heard in something  _ so  _ sarcastic, but he nodded.

“Yeah, more or less.”

Unless you counted Frisk, which. The kid was doing alright now, no dusty knives in sight.

(He’d checked. Toriel invited him over for dinner about two nights a week, he had ample opportunity.)

The other Sans looked even more incredulous, if that was even possible on a face like Sans’, but he pulled it off alright. Sans shrugged, then gave the two murder brothers finger guns.

“I’m not calling you OtherSans and OtherPapyrus anymore. Pick some names please and thanky.”

Paps rolled his eyes beside him, likely over his delivery, but honest to god Sans was not calling these two “Sans and Papyrus” while they were here. He just wasn’t going to, no matter if they used the puppy dog eyes or not.

There was some argument after that about why Sans and Paps got to keep their names and OtherSans and OtherPapyrus didn’t (their universe, their names, in Sans’ opinion), but every argument was put down by a surprisingly helpful Papyrus. Sans supposed he didn’t really want to call them those names either, since nothing OtherPapyrus said really got through. 

Eventually they decided to go by Edge and Red, which was...  _ The  _ most unoriginal names Paps could have come up with, but neither of the wondertwins had been all that forthcoming with their own ideas, so Edge and Red it was. 

After, Papyrus dragging Edge to the kitchen to make a quick lunch since their magic levels were still low, Sans vegged out on the couch, watching Red out of the corner of his eye. He seemed… lost somehow, not that Sans was really doing all that better, but after a long moment, Red finally shuffled over and sat on the arm rest of the couch, as far from Sans as he could get.

“I’m not gonna bite.” Sans said, though he expected the incredulous look he was given. Still, he wasn’t gonna try anything on these two. Too much work. Even if their LV made him want to climb a tree and scream at the sky.

Red stared at him, expression hardened as he spat a “Yer wouldn’t do nothin’. No LV little sweetheart like you?” He laughed, the sound bitter. “Naw. Yer wouldn’t bite.” And with that he went back to staring hard at the kitchen doorway, seemingly straining to hear whatever Paps was saying.

Sans gave the whole situation a shrug. Red wasn’t wrong, Sans didn’t have LV. He really didn’t know much in the way of fighting, and exactly two people in this timeline had any idea differently. Not that he was about to bust his ass trying to take out what had become unfortunate guests. What kind of skeleton did you take him for?

Soon enough Papyrus and Edge came back out with two large pots, one with homey chicken stew, the other creamy mac and cheese. Sans gave his brother a grateful look as he was handed a bowl of the two mixed, as well as a hidden bottle of ketchup. He ignored the look of disgust the dustbrothers were giving him as he took a long swallow, the tint of healing magic almost hidden in the red goop. 

Paps was immune to the glance Sans sent him, dishing out bowls of each food to the brothers, who carefully took them and settled onto the floor. Neither Papyrus or Sans said anything about them sitting on the big-enough couch, not when Edge was still trembling and Red’s eyelight was a little too small. 

Red exchanged a look with Edge before he started eating, Edge giving him a small nod before tucking into his own.

Sans tried to not let that small gesture of distrust affect him. The fear even more so. 

So he ate, and kept watch.


	3. He needs some milk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo next chapter :D i say that every time but im always really happy to get one out lol
> 
> tw for obvious panic and anxiety and the mere knowledge that something bad might happen
> 
> enjoy!!

Of course, the trouble didn’t end after supper. There was no circle around the metaphorical campfire, no singing of Kumbaya. Sans almost wished there was a fire just so he could mysteriously disappear and come back maybe a few hours later with Undyne. For “help”. 

Undyne didn’t know how to put out a fire, but she was good for the entertainment factor that came with her trying. She and Papyrus made a good team when it came to fighting or convincing humans to back off defenseless monsters, but when it came to things like housefires or the pinballs machines at the arcade, their combined energy was a curse.

But no, there was no fire to save him from the increasingly growing tiredness that sat in the pit of his brain as the dust brothers started up their complaining again after supper. Papyrus took every word in stride, even if he was a little hurt that they hadn’t exactly enjoyed his homemade chicken stew. Why they hadn’t, they wouldn’t say, but Sans thought it might have been somewhat too rich for their tastes. 

Anyone could compare their bones with Sans and Papyrus’, who’d had a decent supply of food most of their lives. Their uncovered bones were thin, brittle, and covered in scars and scrapes. The way they sat hunched over their food had been another tell, a secret spilled of late nights with hungry stomachs. 

It was nearly 9 in the evening when Papyrus finally announced, mid tirade from Edge, that it was time for everyone to go to bed. And, true to form, that caused even more arguments. Neither murder sibling wanted to sleep downstairs, where there were windows and doors they couldn’t see at all times and anyone could walk in with such minuscule locks on the door. 

Sans kind of wanted to scream when they asked (demanded) to use one of the upstairs bedrooms, if it wasn’t for the way Edge was trying to hide that he was one tiny baby step from losing it and taking off. 

It seemed their new guests had some issues with anxiety, something Sans could relate to, even if having someone else in his room made his bones itch. Still, if it’d get him away from all the growling, yelling, and posturing, he was all for it.

“I’ll just take the couch, Paps. They can take my room.” Another reason for him to give up his own; Papyrus would be crawling the walls if something of his was broken or placed in the wrong position, should the brothers go poking around. Which they no doubt would, Sans had zero doubts that both brothers would be searching the house for traps and secrets the moment Sans and Papyrus’ backs were turned. 

Papyrus gave him an unreadable look, but quickly turned his attention back to Edge, who looked like he was going to start screaming and never stop.

“Yes of course! My brother is very generously going to allow you to use his room for rest, please do not break or touch anything that is not yours!” At a raised browbone from Red, he amended, “Except the bed, covers, pillows, sheets, and the floor and door, of course.”

“How do we know there is not a trap in wait for us in that room?” Edge asked, voice dripping with distrust. If it hurt Papyrus, he didn’t show it, only smiling as he calmly explained. 

“There are no traps in this house, that would be dangerous for our little friend to come over! Now, it is time for bed! I’ll show you up to Sans’ room.” Then he turned and headed to the stairs, leaving them no choice but to follow.

Red glanced at Sans as he passed, sockets narrowed in suspicion, but Sans just gave him a smile and wave. Once they were upstairs and could no longer see him, Sans leaned back into the couch, exhausted. Damn, interlopers from another universe were tiring. 

It was a short rest, Papyrus coming back down with an equally exhausted look on his face, though sans doubted he’d be sleeping tonight, not with their guests just in the other room. Too much chance for something to go wrong. Sans watched him as he came down the stairs and paused at the bottom, glancing up for a moment before he made his way over to Sans. 

“Sans, are you sure you want to sleep on the couch? I know it…” He waved his hand in a generally agitated way. “I know it messes up your spine alignment, or at least it did last time.”

Sans huffed lightly, shifting in place. The movement gave him away, Papyrus’ sockets narrowing, but before Papyrus could go on the true tirade he’d been stewing on since Edge had Sans by the shirt, Sans waved him down.

“It’s no skin off my nose, bro. I’ll just go sleep at Grillby’s.” He said, placating. Both of them knew Grillby would want to know about the new death brothers soon enough anyways; this was a good opportunity for Sans to get the hell outta dodge and fill him in at the same time. 

Papyrus nodded, picking him up and off the couch to set him by the door. “Well, he’ll make sure you eat a decent breakfast at least. Tell him I said hello, please.”

Sans nodded, giving the stairway one more glance before he opened the door, padding into Grillby’s little apartment with one step. He waved at Papyrus through the doorway before shutting it back, turning to find Grillby standing behind him with his arms crossed.

“Okay so I should have called you when the machine exploded.”

Grillby’s brow raised.

“And I should have told you that there was a lot of smoke damage.”

The arms tightened.

“And I probably should have mentioned, on this hypothetical call, that two doubles of me and Paps showed up? From a really violent universe? And almost killed me?”

Grillby sighed, a puff of smoke rising from his mouth, until he put his arms out, Sans walking gratefully into them.

“Yes, you little punk, you should have told me all of those things.” Grillby muttered, holding him close.

Sans shrugged, grinning, but nodded softly. “Yeah pops, shoulda coulda woulda. Sorry.”

Grillby simply shook his head, pushing him towards the much softer couch he kept around for when Sans needed a place to sleep. Sans gratefully collapsed into the cushions, the hope that Papyrus wouldn’t end up getting in a Fight the last thing on his mind as Grillby covered him up, drifting off into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> added some tags lol i hope no one minds the addition for Dadby, it has a lot to do with how Sans and *coughs* Papyrus grew up
> 
> :D


	4. Yanked Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> added some tags!! they'll make more sense when you read the chapter lol
> 
> also!!! i wanted to remind everyone that this might or might not be a case of unreliable narrator :) as in, why would sans see them as anything but loud and obnoxious lol
> 
> enjoy !!

The next morning Grillby woke him up with the smell of frying sausage and toasting bread, the covers his pops had laid and tucked so carefully in the night before yanked off without a care as Grillby lugged his son into his arms and sat him like a bag of potatoes on one of the chairs. 

Sans couldn’t help but rub at his eyes even as Grillby set one of his favorite breakfasts in front of him; a plate of cheesy toast and sausage patties to put on them, as well as a cup of strawberry milk. He sleepily nibbled at it until it was gone, Grillby patting him on the back and leaving a peck of a fatherly kiss on the top of his head before disappearing down the stairs that led to his pub. 

He couldn’t really take that as anything but a “Please get the fuck home, son.” so he put his dishes in the sink and put them in some sudsy water to soak before popping to the front door of his and Papyrus’ house. 

There was already the sound of some kind of argument inside, but at least it sounded civil enough, which meant whatever had happened the night before, Papyrus had earned the respect of these new murder bros. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him before they could look up, kicking his shoes off on the mat before turning to grin at the all but snarling skeleton that had stepped up just behind him.

“Where the fuck were ya last night, asshole.” Red demanded, hands heavy in his pockets and a hunted expression on his face. Sans really didn’t care much how uncomfortable he was; he’d met nicer monsters with LV like theirs.

The king, for one. Actually, Toriel too, now that he was thinking about it. 

“I went drinking. Almost becoming a mess for the broom to clean up makes a guy a lil thirsty, y’know?”

Red glared at him, but his attention snapped to the kitchen door, where joy oh joy mister Loud and Emo was coming through. Surprisingly, there was no yelling, just a simple gesture for Red to come to the kitchen before he was moving through the door. Red glanced back at Sans, clearly not all that willing to put his back to him, and like the good guy he was Sans rolled his eyes and headed for the kitchen.

“Oh hello, brother, how was your night?” Pap asked as Sans made his way through the doorway, Sans glancing around at the light mess of a well prepared breakfast before answering.

“Oh, y’know. Lots of booze, plenty of hot chicks. Don’t want to call fowl or anything but it was a pretty good night.” Sans winked in his brother’s direction, Papyrus catching it with his hand before miming crushing it between his fingers. Sans put his hand over his chest, clearly hurt, but let himself be directed to a seat at the table. 

Hey, a guy never said no to a second free breakfast cooked by cool dudes.

The breakfast was a mostly quiet affair, Edge serving Red and himself with food Sans would have paid money to bet he prepared himself, and Papyrus insisting on giving them portions of the food he “made too much of, silly me!” 

Eventually the time to clean up came, Sans thanking his brother for the food as he handed over his dishes, but Red actually stood and started helping clear up, even going as far to start a sink of water and start washing.

Sans could feel their judging stares on him, but like hell he was explaining anything. Let them think he was lazy, it suited him.


	5. Mistrust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sighs* again with the learning to trust people, Sans :/
> 
> enjoy lol

The trouble didn’t really start up again until Paps decided it would be a great idea to take the new kids on a grocery run. Edge was immediately asking why, what for, and generally snarling around like an asshole. Red seemed interested, but only for whatever devious reasons Sans imagined he would be. Probably something like finding new monsters to dust when no one was looking, or babies to scare with his sneer. 

Some part of him felt guilty for judging them both so “harshly” when it was obvious they were uncomfortable to the max and likely were never going to see anyone they cared about again, but on the other hand, they both had over 10 LV. 

You didn’t get over 5 LV by self defense only. You didn’t get over 10 LV without doing it for shits and giggles. Red had 13 LV on his own, which could be explained by him also being a Judge, if things really were as dangerous and vengeful in their universe as Sans suspected it was, but Edge… Edge had over  _ 16 LV _ . 

There was no fucking reason for a version of his brother to have that much LV. He couldn’t even think of how bad conditions would have to be for monsters to fall so far. So, he didn’t think about how Edge was technically a version of Paps. He pushed it away, far down in the pit of his soul where the darkest thoughts ran rampant. Edge was a killer, plain and simple, and just as simple was the fact that Red was one too.

Obviously Sans wasn’t going to just let them loose on the general public. So when Paps turned around mid scrub of a dish, soap bubbles flying from his hands, and said “Oh yes! Would you both be willing to come with me to the store for extra groceries and some clothing?”, Sans decided instantly he’d tag along, no matter what was said.

Of course, it didn’t take long for Papyrus to get them to agree to come, even after Edge had been very thorough in his...  _ questions _ .

“What will we be buying?”

“We don’t have enough gold for all that  _ and  _ clothes, how do you expect us to pay you back?”

“What the hell do you mean, ‘out of the kindness of your soul’? We don’t need your charity or your pity!”

And so on and so forth. It was aggravating, just how untrusting these two were. Red was constantly watching Sans with a careful eye, Edge checking every room before he walked into it with sharp eyelights, and no matter what Sans thought about their LV, it was pretty damn clear they were traumatized. 

Still, he couldn’t let himself excuse it, just based on that.

Not like he had in the past.

It didn’t take long to get everyone ready to leave, seeing as how Papyrus somewhat easily got Edge in some of his clothes and Red was already in decent enough wear for leaving the house. Edge looked sort of hilarious in a bright yellow hoodie with a sun on the front, but it’d been a struggle getting him into it so Sans held his tongue.

But, as they headed outside, Sans preparing to shortcut them straight to the local Walmart for convenience sake, the low gasp behind him made him turn, ready to snap. 

He was done with them both acting like every one and every thing was out to get them, he was done with their whining and posturing, he was done with them yelling and growling all the damn time.

But when he turned around, every harsh word he’d almost let slip, died in his mouth, leaving behind a taste of ash. 

Both brothers were staring up at the sky, sockets suspiciously wet as they gaped. Sans felt himself deflate and, ignoring the Look Papyrus was giving him, gently asked, “Never got up to the Surface in your world?”

Red glanced at him like it pained him to look away from the endless expanse of blue. “Never. Kid never made it far ‘nough.”

Sans felt something deep in his soul, a twinge of some long forgotten emotion at the mention of the kid. He was the kids adopted parental figure, or, y'know, "dad" in this timeline, something that shouldn’t have been surprising given his past and history with taking in strays. 

Who was going to take care of that little white dog, after all? 

Giving the sky a wayward glance himself, Sans gave a small prayer to the stars that this timeline would stick before stepping forward.

“Alright kiddos, lets go get the shopping done and then we can all take a nap. How’s that sound?”

Sans grinned as Papyrus immediately started ranting about the evil of naps, Edge and Red too distracted to do more than lowly growl in their chests as he snagged a quick hold of the hems of their shirts and tugged them along with him through the void. 

He could only hope the actual trip went better than everything had been so far. He was on the breadths edge of murder himself and it’d been a total of 17 hours since they’d shown up in the basement causing smoke damage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic, and others, wont be updated regularly for a few months because im trying some new stuff out and i want to get back into the groove!
> 
> refer to my tumblr (freshouttaparsnips) for more details!!


	6. Bitches be Shoppin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look at that, an update XD thanks for the patience, guys
> 
> (warnings for general distrust and Fellverse bullshit)
> 
> enjoy!

Sans was aware the entire trip was going to be a bit of a headache, but he couldn’t have anticipated the sheer wariness Edge and Red put toward everything they did. He could understand a  little  bit; they were both from what would be essentially termed as a warzone, in their universe; being wary of their surroundings and the people around them was probably a given.

Hell, Sans still didn’t trust monsters fully himself, and he’d been around this particular lot much longer than Edge and Red had. Grillby would be so proud.

Still, the two of them needed food and clothes and Papyrus was dead set on it, so Sans locked down on old triggers and put his best “please don’t fuck with us” smile, and to the store they went. 

It started with the greeting clerk asking if Red would like a sticker. Sans had never liked it either, but Red glared at the poor rabbit as if they were holding a knife to his first born. Papyrus had taken the sticker in the end, proudly showing it off at the center of his forehead as they went on. Edge seemed especially affronted by it, Sans getting some amusement out of the look on his face when Paps slapped it on without preamble. 

The first item on the agenda was clothes, seeing as how Edge was a little shorter than Papyrus, and Red a little bulkier than Sans. It was slight differences, but Papyrus wanted the two of them to feel as welcome as possible, so clothes shopping it was. 

Sans hated clothes shopping. He only had a few textures he actively enjoyed putting on his bones, and most of the store brand shit was not it. Surprisingly though, it went quickly, both death brothers picking only the bare minimum of what they needed, in the darkest colors possible. If Papyrus was disappointed by it, he didn’t show it, instead taking the clothes up front to place in bags before they set about buying extra groceries. 

Turning a corner to the frozen food section, Sans felt the warmth of his father before he actually saw him, his bones untensing a bit as a more genuine smile grew on his face. Grillby was standing just at the frozen pizza portion of the aisle, contemplating the merits of extra pepperoni versus sausage and beef. 

“Hey, pops.” Sans said, startling Papyrus who was explaining the mechanics behind the freezer stands to a raptured Edge. 

“Oh hello, father! It’s been so long!” Papyrus exclaimed, rushing forward to pull a chuckling Grillby into a warm hug. 

“Hello boys. Introduce me to your new friends?” Grillby asked, still holding a giddy Papyrus to his chest, side eyeing Sans to the extreme. Seeing as how both Edge and Red were staring at Grillby like he was the sun again, high in the sky, Sans took it on himself to introduce them.

“This is Thing 1 and Thing 2. We’re getting the grub.”

There was a snort, an actual snort from Red at that, Edge huffing as he stepped forward, gloved hand reaching out gingerly to shake Grillby’s. 

“I am… Edge. This is my brother, Red.” Every word was like a pulled tooth, but in the end Sans saw that glint in Grillby’s eyes that meant he’d adopted two more boys. 

“Well, I have plenty of food for the four of you to come over and have lunch, if the grub shopping can wait.” Grillby said, sly, and Sans couldn’t help but think about the food his pops had at the bar that he rarely had access to. 

Papyrus was giving him a few side glances as he started to drool thinking about the cheese nips crackers Grillby always hid on the top shelf, even as he agreed.

“Yes, I believe that would be a grand idea! I don’t think these two would appreciate the wonderful world of bagging your goods.”

Grillby huffed a laugh. “No, probably not.”

Sans took the five of them through another shortcut, this time to the outside of Grillby’s bar so pops could let them into his home on his own terms. He felt a little weak after that one, Paps noticing like the cool guy he was and lifting him up and into his arms to stride without preamble into the bar and up the stairs in the back. 

He wasn’t sure what Grillby said to the dust brothers before they came in, his mind a bit more preoccupied with the heaping bowl of cheese crackers Papyrus thrusted on him the moment he opened his eyes again, but they were polite and careful as they came inside. Something about the whole situation was making them uncomfortable, Sans could sense it, but he wasn’t entirely sure what it could be.

Still, as soon as Grillby started cooking, they both seemed to relax at the smell of good, home cooked food. Sans supposed not smelling any kind of poison worked to the advantage of getting them to eat any of the spread Grillby laid out on the living room table.

Mini cheese burgers with the works, tiny wiener sausages on little buns, little finger sandwiches with different kinds of meats and cheeses, and a whole load of chips to choose from. There were even a few sodas to choose from, once Grillby and Papyrus had explained that they were soft drinks, not beers. 

Sans was content with his own bowl of crackers, still working through getting his magic back for the trip back to the store, then home. Something about the atmosphere of the brothers and his own, with his dad making the whole place seem toasty and comfortable, and well.

It was no wonder he fell asleep.


	7. Just a Small Sleeping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well im in internet exile right now, using the wifi at a wendys to upload stuff lol wish me luck in these trying times
> 
> enjoy !!

When Sans woke up again it was to the gentle touches of his pops, a poke here or there that was just enough to get him awake. He blinked his sockets, staring up at a slightly dimmed Grillby, who’s hand was still on his shoulder. 

“What’s up?” Sans mumbled, blinking tiredly as he sat up on the couch they’d all seen fit to let him just nap on. Grillby helped him up, keeping him steady as the dizziness came.

“Your brother and Edge went back to the store to get the groceries you needed. Red is still here.” There was some kind of warning in that, but fuck if Sans was awake enough to parse it. Instead he grinned up at his father and shot him a pair of fingers guns. 

“He’s been eatin’ you out of house and home, hasn’t he?” 

There was a distinct grunt of displeasure coming from the kitchen, Sans hiding the instinctive wince as he shuffled off the couch, Grillby letting him hop up and pad to the kitchen. Red was sitting at the table, head cradled in one hand as he nursed what looked and smelled like a mug of hot cocoa. From the look on his face, slightly flushed and weary, Sans had to wonder just how much of Grillby’s top shelf was in it.

“Doesn’t getting drunk in this kinda situation count as suicide?” Sans asked idly, Red glancing up at him for a second.

“Like I couldn’ kill yer pansy ass with my pants ‘round my ankles.” Red chuffed, taking another long swig of cocoa/whiskey. Sans tried to take that like the warning, the threat that it was, but found he only really felt some semblance of pity. When had that become a thing, he had to wonder.

“Well, killing or no killing aside, you had enough to eat?” Sans had defintiely noticed the empty box of cheese nips, that was grating on his nerves a little, but there were also a whole load of plates and forks in the sink that hadn’t been there when they’d all gotten here. He wondered just how much the brothers had eaten, and how much they’d pretended to eat but stuffed in their inventories when Grillby “wasn’t looking”. 

It was a simple trick. Grillby had never actually fallen for it, but Sans was always grateful he’d never called him out on it, either.

Wondering if Red had pulled off fitting the whole roast in his dimensional box without Papyrus seeing, Sans decided to take a gamble, and sat at the table on the other side of Red. For a self certified murderer, Red didn’t so much as blink, just slowly glancing up to see what his intentions were. On a good day, Sans might have been able to do the same, what with the Judge’s sense of right and wrong, but right now all he could see of Red was a damn tired skeleton who just wanted things to be normal. 

Sans could relate. 

“Y’know.” Red started, looking down at his mug of cocoa like it held the secrets to the universe itself. “We didn’t have this sweet shit back home.”

Sans really wasn’t sure what to say to that, but Red continued. 

“We had chocolate, but it wasn’ sweet. More bitter’n anything.”

“There is such a thing as dark chocolate.” Grillby said, cleaning around them just like every time Sans was over. Red just huffed a laugh.

“Figures. Even the chocolate’s “darker” there.”

It was quiet after that, until their brothers finally returned from taking the groceries home.


End file.
